Maine Outdoor Film Festival

GUIDED BY THE MOON – 3.12 minutes – by Michael Mitchell – from Massachusetts – Short synopsis: Guided By The Moon is a non-narrative film showcasing the Algonquin-speaking peoples’ various names for full moons through creative transitions, honoring the memory of indigenous communities’ traditions.

LEO & CHESTER – 8.32 minutes – by Andrea Wing – from British Columbia – Short synopsis: Leo, a sought-after rock star with a promising career, turns his back on the industry to pursue a life on the land with a herd of buffalo.

WOOD HOOD – 16 minutes – by Alexander Cullen – from New York – Short synopsis: DeVaughn is a 15-year-old kid from New York City who loves skateboarding and craves a “quiet place” to escape the chaos of his home, the city, and kids that steal from him. The film follows DeVaughn on a weekend-long group camping trip with Camping to Connect, a BIPOC-led mentorship program that teaches leadership, brotherhood, and inclusion in the outdoors, a space that is unfamiliar and historically inaccessible to these kids.

15-MIN INTERMISSION

TO BE FRANK – 11.48 minutes – by Anna Wilder Burns – from Maine – Short synopsis: ‘To Be Frank’ explores authenticity and community in surfing via Frank Paine, a 73-year-old South Bay icon and humble local legend whose life orbits around a two-block stretch of beach. Surfing, which, for some, becomes lost in isolation, is made whole again with Frank — welcoming, inspiring, kind and committed, with an unwavering passion centered on and springing from Hermosa Beach’s beloved shores.

CHICAS AL AGUA – 17.99 minutes – by Liz McGregor – from Maine – Short synopsis: You can count the number of female paddlers in Futaleufu, Chile on one hand… and they want to change that. After many riverside matés and floating conversations, the idea to create a kayak course for local teenage girls was hatched. Thanks to a committed group of women from around the globe, what started as a dream is now an inspirational contribution to the local community.

BEYOND BEGBIE – 15 minutes – by Zoya Lynch – from British Columbia – Short synopsis: Climbing Mount Begbie is a “right of passage” for every hiker, climber, sledder, and skier who chooses to make Revelstoke Valley their home. While this peak has created an entire contemporary culture in Revelstoke, its name and story only represent colonial history, with no reference to the Indigenous heritage of this land. Is it the outdoor community’s responsibility to help change this?

The Maine Outdoor Film Festival (MOFF) curates and produces film experiences related to the beauty, interactivity and complexity of our planet. The festival believes top-notch storytelling and imagery has the potential to broaden perspectives, strengthen relationships, and to foster change within ourselves and our communities. And there’s never been a more important time than now to share diverse voices and viewpoints, ask important questions, provide educational and interactive opportunities to connect, explore and learn about the outdoors.